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The
time-travelling Viking brothers, Erik the Swift, Olaf the Stout
and Baleog the Fierce have once again been captured by the evil
Tomator, teleported aboard his spaceship and then warped through
time to spooky Transylvania.
Using any means possible, you must guide our Nordic friends
through the five enchanting and crazy worlds to find the time
machine that will return them home where they can once again rape
and pillage to their hearts content.
Lost Vikings 2 is the sequel to the 16-bit Super Nintendo
game from four years ago. The game includes 31 brand new levels,
although I am led to believe that it is almost identical to the
original in both visuals and gameplay. Unfortunately I never did
find the time to play the original Nintendo classic therefore I
can review Lost Vikings 2 as a brand new Playstation title and it
will be judged accordingly.
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Lost
Vikings 2 is essentially a platform game but with a slight
difference. Instead of guiding a single multi-talented super-hero
across a series of hazards, you get to control three partially
talented stooges who must combine their skills as a team to
complete the levels. No single character will be able to complete
a level alone therefore you must switch from one Viking to
another, using each of their individual powers to progress. Each
level contains a number of varied puzzles and it is your task to
decide which of the characters talents are best suited to each of
the problems in hand.
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The
story is explained by a rendered introduction sequence that bring
the characters to life. Opening with the terrible trio aboard
their longboat their bickering and arguing is brought to a sudden
halt as they are snatched from their ship, Ragnarok, and plunged
into their latest adventure. The intro sets the scene nicely
showing the larger than life characters in all their glory.
The graphics may not be ground breaking but are bright and
colorful with each themed world varying in appearance. The
Transylvania world has a purple landscape that is overrun with
sword wielding skeletons, fire breathing dragons and magical
wizards. The Pirates ship is mistaken for home by the Viking as
the moon light shines across the ocean, but they are soon awoken
to reality when they face the cut-throat pirates and flesh eating
piranhas. The Jungle is obviously set in a lush green landscape
that is riddled with tricks and traps, swamps and rivers, while
the dangers lurk in many forms, especially the spear throwing
locals. A visit to Hell glows red with the fiery wrath of the
undead before reaching your goal in a fight to the death with
their evil captor, Tomator and his mechanical warriors.
The characters are nicely animated with the three main
characters sporting long Nordic beards and although they have an
individual appearance I was often mistaking Olaf the stout for
Baleog the fat, I mean fierce. The two new characters are
unmistakable as Scorch is a emerald green dragon and Fang is a
camp wolf.
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Although
there are many different sound effect within Lost Vikings 2
(mainly crash, bangs and wallops), the whole game is kept alive by
the many humorous conversation between the five characters.
Sarcasm may not be a strong enough word for the hurtful comments
that they constantly hurl at each other, actually taking the piss
is more suiting.
The remarks are not only thrown at each other, the player can
come in for a bit of stick too. If you fail to complete a level
then you may restart using a given password, but after two or
three failures the characters become a little disenchanted and are
not afraid to let you know. Eric will say "By the time we
complete this level Lost Vikings 3 will be available", at
which time Olaf will chip in with "Cool, the new Vikings may
be able to help us out". Take a few more attempts and the
characters will appear to be out of breath, puffing an panting
before Olaf praises "This player certainly knows how to push
our buttons", followed by Eric bursting the bubble with "If
that was so, we wouldn't still be here". This goes on and on
and the longer you take the more hurtful the remark.
The game is backed by a selection of pop/rock tunes that
compliment the gameplay.
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The
gameplay is eased along by the inclusion of several information
boxes that will offer you helpful advice. If you are new to the
Viking style of play then these tips will prove essential to your
progress. Just press the circle button when standing over the
question mark to receive a helpful hint.
The game opens with the Viking trio teleported to the first
Transylvania level that allows you ample time to get used to each
characters special skills. Eric can jump in the air and fly using
his rocket boots. He is also the only Viking that can swim
underwater, while his helmet will destroy solid walls if he
charges into them. Baleog can slash enemies in two with his trusty
sword but he will rarely get to use it as he also has an extending
bionic arm that will floor an enemy long before they are within
range. His arm has many uses such as punching out of reach
switches and swinging from ledge to ledge. Olaf holds a shield
that will protect the team from enemy fire, it can also be held
over his head for his mates to stand on to reach higher ledges. He
possesses the ability to shrink and in tiny form he can crawl
under rocks and collect important items. Olaf can also fart, yes
he can blast open floors with the strength of his bottom wind. He
can also fart in mid-air to majestically glide to the ground, but
make sure you keep Olaf away from the flames or he might just blow
up your Playstation.
One or two Vikings will decide to go walkabout during the
course of the game and your numbers will be made up with the two
new characters, Fang, the wolf with a perm and Scorch the luminous
dragon. Now Fang will be extremely helpful if you allow him to
join your gang as he has the ability to leap up and cling to walls
and can handle the enemies with his razor sharp claws. Scorch can
flap his wings to fly to the highest point while a breath of fire
will roast most enemies to toast.
On each level you will be given a task to perform that
usually involves collecting items for your friendly witch (doesn't
she sound like Joan Rivers). The only way that you will make it to
the end of the level is through teamwork. You must help the whole
gang to overcome obstacles set in your path as each persons skills
are required during the level. Eric can swim to the bottom of the
lake to collect a key then hand it over to Olaf who can crawl
under a rock where the keyhole is situated. So you see, if you
leave someone behind you will be unable to complete the course.
If at any stage a character dies, then you must restart the
level and try again. Each character can take a number of hits
before death and may eat some of the food that is lying around the
level to replenish his health.
Lost Vikings 2 has a gentle learning curve but some of the
puzzles can become quite taxing so you ain't gonna finish this
game in a couple of days. The control pad is simple to use with
the directional pad used to move the Vikings across the screen.
The face buttons will activate switches and operate their special
functions. The shoulder buttons are used to switch character
control, while the select button enters the inventory to highlight
a collected item for use.
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Lost
Vikings 2 is a decent platform game that is jam packed with
humorous quips. It's flat 2D looks do no justice to the power of
the Playstation but then again there are many titles around that
have next generation graphics and the gameplay is crap. If you
have played the original Lost Vikings then it may be worth
checking out before buying and if not then give it a try, you
might be pleasantly surprised.
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MARTIN |
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GRAPHICS: |
Good |
Lost
Vikings 2 is a decent platform game that is jam packed with
humorous quips. It's flat 2D looks do no justice to the power of
the Playstation but then again there are many titles around that
have next generation graphics and the gameplay is crap. If you
have played the original Lost Vikings then it may be worth
checking out before buying and if not then give it a try, you
might be pleasantly surprised. |
SOUND: |
Good |
PLAYABILITY: |
Good |
VALUE: |
Good |
OVERALL
8/10 |
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